The Jesus We Missed: The Surprising Truth About The Humanity Of Christ

by Patrick Henry Reardon

Who was Jesus and what was His mission?

The Gospels present us with an obvious but profound and compelling thought, that the eternal Word of God became a real man of particular weight and height, with a specific temperament and particular traits of character. He was a Jew, part of a small village community. He became hungry and tired. He felt anger and was moved to compassion. He had a mother and friends. His name was Jesus.

How are we to understand this mystery of Jesus being fully God and also fully man? How do we correctly speak of the real Jesus without falling prey to the skepticism that marks the so-called “quest for a historical Jesus”?

In The Jesus We Missed, pastor and scholar Patrick Henry Reardon travels through the Gospel narratives to discover the real Jesus, to see him through the eyes of those who knew him best—the apostles, his community, believers who vividly portrayed him in stories filtered through their own faith. Through these living, breathing accounts, we contemplate who God’s Son really was and is—and we understand how he came to redeem and sanctify every aspect of every human life. 

“In an age that has too often turned Jesus into a symbol or an abstract doctrine, we are long overdue for a reminder that the Lord of history came to us as a humble carpenter from Nazareth.” — BRYAN LITFIN, Professor of Theology, Moody Bible Institute

“In his inimitable style, Patrick Henry Reardon surprises us with insights into the humanity of Jesus drawn from the Gospels and made lively by careful attention to historical and literary detail. Here is a piece that joins together critical awareness, theological fidelity, refreshing wit, and manifest devotion.” — EDITH M. HUMPHREY, William F. Orr Professor of New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Faith, Christian, Religion, History, Nonfiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2012

About the author

Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints' Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and a senior editor of Touchstone magazine.

Father Patrick was educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), St. Anselm's College (Rome), The Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary (South Canaan, PA).

He has authored many books including: Christ in the Psalms, Christ in His Saints, The Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Job, Chronicles of History and Worship: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Books of Chronicles, and Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Reflections on the Book of Genesis.

In addition, Father Patrick has published over a thousand articles, editorials, and reviews, in "Books and Culture", "Touchstone", "The Scottish Journal of Theology", "The Catholic Biblical Quarterly", "Pro Ecclesia", "St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly", and other journals on three continents over the past forty-plus years.

Reviews

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do we mean when we say that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human? Most Christians have some clear ideas about Jesus being fully God, but His being a man is harder to conceive and explain. In fact, most Christians would rather not discuss the subject for fear of inadvertently attacking Christ's deity. It is in this usually avoided area of doctrine that Patrick Henry Reardon writes. This book, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, boldly tackles the subject.

Reverent study of the humanity of Christ will in no way lessen our respect of the divinity of Christ, but rather better define it. Actually, our appreciation of what Jesus did for us will grow exponentially as we see that He suffered as we suffer, he felt pain and heartaches as we feel them, and He understands on every level all that we could ever go through.

In this thought-provoking work, we are forced to confront Christ's humanity head on. Questions that you either never thought of, or thought it best to never think of, are asked in a way that you much decide or close the book. In the preface alone, the shocking question of did Jesus ever get sick and vomit is asked. Before you run away, ask yourself if that isn't a worthy question. Does Jesus understand when I am in the middle of a bout of extreme nauseousness? At this point doctrine and daily living intersect.

I couldn't say that I agree with every conclusion of Mr. Reardon. When he speaks of Jesus and His mother Mary being at odds at the wedding where He turns water to wine, I feel he slightly stretches the extent of it. While I can appreciate the bewildering nature of Mary's experience as Jesus grew up, I can't help but believe that she did think of Him as we usually picture it in light of the angel's graphic description of the Child she would carry. The extraordinary fact of the Virgin Birth could never be lost on her for a moment, even though her being a human mother had to come out at times. Mr. Reardon also attributes more to the human author's personal knowledge (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) than I would feel comfortable doing as it would overlook the ultimate authorship of the Holy Spirit.

But when Mr. Reardon talks about Jesus' growing up always going to the synagogue, or His interaction with certain individuals, or His sufferings in Gethsemane or on the cross, he is spot on. I have been blessed by studying Christology and it looks like we have a tool here to help those who have never studied it to get going.

Pastors can gain further insights on the Hypostatic Union while laymen can follow the discussion with minimal heavy theological terms. That makes this book, even with the few aforementioned caveats, a winner all the way around.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .

[Steven Schneidmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, I realized I truly missed someone for a long time, not just in terms of Dogma, but also relational. The concept of Christ has been a hard thing to grasp for the past 2000 years. The idea of God becoming man has been the subject of many debates and opinion based philosophies. The Incarnation has also been an awkward sight to behold through the lens of cinema and the plethora of interpretations and personalities. This book has calmed many of the storms in my soul which has been bombarded by many of these thoughts and images. The author Patrick Henry Reardon is an Orthodox Christian priest who comes from an Eastern Christian understanding of Christology, but his book can be easily accessible to Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox. He does bring in Church history and creedal weight to his presentation, but many of his arguments are based on Holy Scripture. I will not read the Gospels the same way. His matter of fact and poignant writing helps the reader examine a person familiar and yet unfamiliar. This person known as Jesus of Nazareth was one known by many growing up and working as a carpenter but after his baptism and beginning of his ministry He was unknown by many. In this book I witnessed an awesome God the Son who took upon all of humanity including human weakness and how He overcame his weak flesh by his willing spirit to pray to God His Father. He endured the Cross and death, and was gloriously resurrected. Because of His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we have a true mediator that is sympathetic to our weakness. Christ is no longer a ghost to be feared. He is flesh and bone that we can relate to and find comfort in. I’ve read this book twice and will definitely reread it in the near future. I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank God for Father Patrick Henry Reardon.

[Alex of Yoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, especially appropriate right before Christmas! I found it very informative, but also a little dense.

This book takes us chronologically through the major events of Christ's life, trying to reconstruct what it must have been like to see and interact with the real Jesus as He was here on Earth. It explores His uniqueness of being both God and man, using as much as one can about psychology and human experience to consider what that must have been like. It draws heavily on wisdom from the ancient Christian church as well as modern knowledge and discoveries.

I appreciated the layout of this book. It's concise and gives a very good and helpful snapshot of the life of Christ. It's obvious that the author is well-versed in biblical studies and language, and that this is a subject close to his heart. I appreciated the wealth of information and study that he brought to this subject, and his ability to connect themes and events in ways that may not be easily noticed by the casual Bible reader.

It is a pretty dense read though. It can be heady and might be difficult for a layperson to get through. I was also hoping for a bit more of an "application" element to the book. It gives you a lot of information about Christ, but not really any direction about what the author expects the reader to do with that information. That element would, in my opinion, be the missing piece to really set this book apart.

Overall, I think seminary students and pastors would benefit from this the most, though anyone with an interest could pick it up if they're used to more scholarly books. It is written by an Orthodox priest, but the book itself applies to all of Christianity no matter its expression. Any Christian can pick up this book and use it for their faith, no matter who they are, which is nice.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by what I learned

Fr. Reardon writes with an ease for giving understanding. Many takeaways for one’s life. One of the biggest take always for me was a new understanding for the “Our Father”prayer. Praying that prayer aligns us with Jesus’ Father.

[BenjaBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Word did not assume our humanity in abstract and philosophical terms. Rather, the Word became a specific human being, Jesus Christ, a man and the sole Mediator between God and man. That is to say, God's eternal Word took unto Himself not only certain human qualities but the concrete, historical circumstances of an individual human life. He made Himself a subjective participant in human history, someone whose existence and experience were circumscribed by the limiting conditions of time and space and organic particularity. An adequate Christology, then, should affirm that the Word's becoming flesh refers to more than the single instant of His becoming present in the Virgin's womb. He continued becoming flesh and dwelling among us, in the sense that His assumed body and soul developed and grew through the complex experiences of a particular human life, including the transition from preconscious to conscious.”

This is a phenomenal analysis on the full humanity of Jesus Christ. The full deity and full manhood of Jesus is a concept that has always been difficult to understand. In truth, even after this fantastic in-depth look at Christ’s humanity, it’s still a difficult concept to grasp. This is one of the many mysteries of the Lord which we cannot grasp with our lowly human understanding and requires us to put on faith. However, I have a much deeper understanding of the humanity of Jesus after reading this book.

I highly recommend it to all believers, and certainly to the unconvinced. Some of the revealed aspects of Jesus’s humanity are so subtle that they can be missed if we read Scripture too quickly, but rest assured that such aspects are right there in the inspired Word. Some of them I’ve known; some of them are brand new to me. My understanding of Christ’s humanity has spurred my heart; I am even more grateful for what He did at Calvary for me. Praise the Lord!

[Alexis Neal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is, or wants to be, a biography of Jesus. Or at any rate, a biography of his humanity, as it's far from an exhaustive account of all his activities. Reardon walks through the life of Jesus from birth through his youth and pre-ministry adult years, on into his earthly ministry, to the cross, the resurrection, and beyond, explaining how he thinks the dual nature of Christ as the God-man worked itself out.

I have to confess, I had high expectations for this book. The cover proudly proclaims that Dr. Russell Moore (professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Adopted for Life, among others) wrote the foreword, and in that foreword, he claims that this book "is the best treatment of the humanity of our Lord Jesus that I've ever encountered" and that it's Reardon's "finest work". (This language was slightly softened in his recent blog post on the book, which was virtually identical to the foreword, but described the book as "the best contemporary treatment of this subject that I've ever seen." (emphasis added))

So I was pretty excited. But by the time I finished the book, my excitement had changed, first to confusion and then to disappointment. Let me explain.

Dr. Moore's description of the book focused on the physical limitations and sufferings of Christ--a welcome and oft-ignored topic, to be sure. It is incredibly easy to sanitize the gospel story of Christ's humanity. We don't like to think of the savior struggling with acne or bad breath or body odor. We know He was human, but we don't really understand what that means. I remember being blown away by this realization the first time I read Max Lucado's God Came Near. While that book lacks the depth and theological discussion present here (which is hardly surprising, since it was never intended to be a theological treatise--it's merely a series of poems and questions and anecdotes intended to bring home the reality of the humanity of Christ), it had, pound for pound, significantly more impact than Reardon's work.

However, the bulk of the focus here is not on Christ's physical limitations and experiences, but on His mental capacity. Reardon takes the view that Christ's understanding of His role in the salvation story and His fulfillment of Scripture grew over time--not just when he was a youth or prior to His earthly ministry, but during His earthly ministry. He takes the view that Jesus' knowledge was limited most of the time--in other words, that there were a few times when He could read minds or knew what was happening somewhere else, but those were isolated incidents, and most of the time He only knew what He could observe with His five senses.

And I'm not saying he's necessarily wrong. Luke 2:52 clearly states that Jesus "grew in strength and wisdom." But it doesn't explain what that means, and religious scholars--orthodox, gospel-believing scholars--have argued about this for centuries. We don't know when and how that growth occurred, or whether it continued once he started His earthly ministry. We know that He sometimes had supernatural knowledge--we don't know if those are just examples or if those were exceptions to His general human limitations. In other words, Reardon may well be right. But he may not be. And the book didn't really acknowledge the disagreement. The tenor of the book was "Jesus was human, so obviously X" without any discussion of other possible interpretations or any mention of other schools of thought. He also uses guesswork to fill in a lot of the blanks in Jesus' early life. Logical guesswork, to be sure, but it's still guesswork, and I tend to be leery of adding supposition to Scripture unless the author explicitly notifies the reader when he's making a leap, so that the reader can decide whether to leap with him. This opinion/guesswork tension is further complicated by Reardon's tendency to switch back and forth between the first person ("I believe") and the awkward third person ("one conjectures")--especially since the conclusions attributed to the generic third person 'one' are likely thoughts that never crossed the readers' minds.

My frustration with the substance of the book was exacerbated by the awkward organization and the uneven quality of the writing. The tone vacillated from scholarly to pastoral to (attempted) humor without much in the way of smooth transition, and the material was presented in what seemed to be a rather random, meandering style. I realize that the life of Christ does not lend itself to the straightforward chronological structure so popular in Western culture--the gospels are not written that way. And really, the important thing is not what happened when, but that it happened. Still, I had hoped for a more linear (or at least clear) organization to guide the reader through this rather dense text. Instead, it felt scattered and difficult to follow.

Then, too, there were times when I literally had no idea what Reardon was trying to say, or why he was raising a certain point. I think I read this passage four times before just giving up:

We are no more able to separate ourselves from the time of human history than from the space of the created order. This is the reason, I believe, why the central day of Creation, the 'fourth day'--Wednesday--provides the cosmic chronometer to measure man's time on earth.

I have no idea what that even means, let alone how it relates to the humanity of Christ or 'Jesus at Prayer' (the chapter where this passage appears).

Bottom Line: I don't know how many other contemporary works there are on the humanity of Christ (besides Lucado's rather fluffy but nonetheless striking God Came Near), but I have a hard time believing that this is the best treatment out there. Orthodox, it certainly is. And it contains a clear presentation of the gospel. But I respectfully disagree with Dr. Moore. This book falls far short of the superlatives he bestowed upon it.

[Jodi Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Fr. Reardon. I chose it because (perhaps oddly) it is Christ's humanity that has been hard for me to really take in. (His divinity is, in my estimation, much easier to accept. In addition to the many accounts of miracles both in the gospels and also in subsequent history, there is the glaring detail of his teachings being the basis of *entire shifts* of *every civilization* they touch. Plato is wise and a joy to read, and his *influence* echoes through the ages, but it didn't turn the world upside down. Christianity did.)

At any rate, Fr. Reardon's meditation on Christ's humanity served to bring God closer to me and, to put it in terms of another Orthodox writer, stop living in a two-story universe. Thank you, Fr. Reardon! I look forward to reading other books you have written.
In any event

[Michael Mandel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

When you see Jesus you have seen the Father. This book opens the eyes of faith to see our victorious risen Brother and Friend more relationally. Highly recommend.

[Terry Feix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title is more sensational than the content. Nevertheless, the perspective Reardon takes is complementary and additive to our picture of Jesus.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography of Jesus. Unfortunately that format just doesn't work. There is useful information shared but I think the premise of the book is not ideal.

[Dan Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The humanity of Jesus Christ is a profound mystery. How an eternal God can become a man and yet limit His eternal capabilities is without human comprehension. Mankind is willing to see and comprehend the divinity of Christ, yet the humanity is much less comprehensible. In his book “The Jesus We Missed” Patrick Reardon attempts to explain the humanity of Christ. He begins with the Jesus birth through the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Bringing out the humanity of Christ is a great aspect of Christ’s life that needs to be explored. Christology involves diving deep into both the divinity and humanity of Christ. Western Culture often misses aspects of the Bible because we read through our Western lens.

If Jesus was Divine, then why did he have to pray? It is through this book that we are presented with the humanity of Jesus Christ. The one who aches as humans ache. The Jesus who sweats as a farmer planting seed sweats. It is Jesus who understands our weakness, not simply because He is the Creator but because He suffered as we suffer. We could identify considerably through a grasp of Jesus humanity.

In Mark 7, Jesus interacts with the Syrophoenician woman in somewhat of a fodder communication. Jesus and the woman go back and forth about the purpose of bread. There is more of the humanity of Christ here than we see with our Western Eyes. Reardon brings out this connection all throughout his book in each of the time frames of Jesus life.

However, Reardon makes connections that I am not confident are in the text. Did Jesus leave and pray early in the morning from dark till daylight as a type of Creation story? God created and there was light…did Jesus pray at these times to identify with Creation or was it simply that the homes that Jesus stayed were small and noisy, therefore, He needed to find a quiet place to pray? Did he rise early for the purpose of solitude or Creation or both? Did Jesus pray outdoors to connect with God’s creation or was it because that was a place that was quiet? We have the model of Jesus prayer but not necessarily the motive behind the action. Therefore, to make claims challenges thinking and is good to consider, however, it is better to spend time modeling the pray rather than the motive in this situation.

Grasping the humanity of Christ is essential to understanding the entire narrative of the Global and timeless story God began at Creation as Reardon points out. I believe this is true is many parts of the Bible. For example, Jesus in the garden requesting that God “…let this cup pass from me.” Was Jesus requesting another way to die or was he wanting to miss death altogether…or both? We do not know but Reardon challenged the status quo in our understanding of this story. Reardon breaks the mold and challenging people to think outside their theological “box”. For this, I am grateful for Reardon taking a different approach to the humanity of Jesus.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


As a Non-Trinitarian (someone who doesn't believe in the Trinity, and, at least in my case, the divinity of Christ), I was excited to read a book focused on the humanity of Jesus. Which means I was slightly disappointed when the point seemed more to prove Jesus' divinity and purpose, etc, through understanding his humanity. Despite that, though, this book was a pretty interesting read, even if I don't completely agree with the author in his theology (I'm the unorthodox one, not him, lol).

He tells us that in this book he wants to ask:
"Who is this Jesus, what happened to him to make him appear so different from the citizens of Nazereth, and what other things came of it?" (page xvii)

Taking the first four chapters to look at Jesus' life prior to, as he calls it, "the episode at Nazareth," which starts his public ministry, the rest of the book then progresses onward, culminating in his death and the idea of his resurrection, touching along the way how Jesus did fully experience life, and death, as a human, and grew in understanding of his purpose and sacrifice.

I found a lot of the places where the author looked at the variations in the Gospel accounts to be interesting, as well as where he would explore themes and different ways of looking at the text, as well as the language used in certain places, even if I don't always agree with him when it comes down to what the text is trying to tell us.

I probably would have been more impressed if I believed the same way the author does, in terms of Jesus' message and purpose, because it's kind of hard to read something that works to prove something you don't really agree with, you know? It was a well written book, and, like I said, interesting in many places. Even though I don't come to the same conclusions the author has, many of the points he made were usable in my own interpretation, which means I know I'll go back and re-read at least certain sections as I continue my spiritual education, so to speak.

That said, this book is something I would recommend to those more orthodox than myself, though I do feel it will be a reliable resource for my own use down the road, in fact, looking back I see where I made quite a few bookmarks for future reference. I just feel that those who believe in a more "traditional" way would get more out of it than "heretics" like myself. ;)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This twelve chapter, two hundred page paperback has been one of my favorite books to read and reflect on during my morning cup of coffee. I love to consider the person and mission of Jesus early and often each day and Patrick Reardon provides a biblically thorough and insightful rumination on the wonder of the incarnation.

The first four chapters center on Jesus’ life prior to the confrontation in His home town. Chapter 5 focuses on the event in Nazareth and the following chapters deal with later aspects of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The writing is academically strong, challengingly reflective and deeply personal for those who love to continually focus on Jesus.

There were two chapters I found myself enthralled with. Chapter 6: “Learning and Teaching” and Chapter 12: “Risen in the Flesh”. As a Husband, Father, Pastor and Teacher I am constantly seeking to grow, mature and learn. To reflect on Jesus’ development and growth as shown in the Gospels was inspiring. To both grow under Jesus’ teaching as I teach and to follow Him to my own resurrection are powerful thoughts. It is truly a wondrous thing to consider the ongoing life and eternal nature of Jesus in the flesh.

As we approach Easter I highly recommend this book to every believer. We are often quick to soften the tough mission of Jesus by focusing on His ‘God side’. To fully experience the power of His life, ministry, death and resurrection we should invest time considering His humanity as well. It is a powerful thing. To walk close to Jesus means you hear His feet on the ground. Listen for it, read this book.

In exchange for this review I received a free copy of this book from the Thomas Nelson Publishing Group.

[Karie Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jesus We Missed The Surprising Truth About the Humanity of Christ









The purpose of this book is to highlight the humanity of Christ be taking a closer look at the human-like qualities that Jesus portrayed, particularly in what he said to other people. Starting with his birth, and then moving toward his baptism and his ministry, and finally ending with his death and resurrection, Reardon focuses on the interactions that Jesus has with other people and explains the human thought that went into each of these actions.





Any devoted follower of Jesus of Nazareth has wrestled with the awesomeness of God living in the flesh as a man; and having pondered the imponderable, has continued a walk of faith all the more amazed by God's lavish love and unending grace toward mankind that He would choose to live as one of us.




Loved it

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was a pretty interesting and controversial book. It was not so much controversial in terms of disputes but it raises a lot of questions in the modern church. I was taught that Jesus was a mere man and not the religious figure that we hold Him up too. Also this book explained the humanity of Jesus,and his divinity. Although he was God incarnate, He was also a man that experienced the trials that Christians go through in their daily life.

Solid book with good teachings that will lead believers surprised and unbelievers shocked.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is a bit of a misnomer, as Fr. Patrick himself points out in the introduction that nothing he says is new, per se. However, it is a thought-provoking and very thorough exploration of how Jesus' humanity impacted his life and ministry, with meticulous comparisons drawn between gospel accounts. Fr. Patrick is adept at pointing out why particular details were included by particular authors (the theme of the temple in Luke's gospel, John's focus on seven signs, etc.). This book is an excellent springboard for discussion.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I'm always suspicious of books that claim to discover a "truth we missed" but Reardon is careful in his formulations and respectful of the theological heritage of Chalcedonian Christology. He's also very insightful regarding each Gospel's distinct presentation of Christ, considering the data from all four Gospels without flattening their unique perspectives.

That said, I came away from this with the sense that it under-delivered on its promise. It was an insightful reading of the Gospels, but not a "surprising" new treatment of Christ's humanity.

[R.D. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Patrick Reardon offers a wonderful picture into the life of Jesus. A life that is brought to life through Scripture and Tradition. This life of Jesus is rooted in the Septuagint Old Testament, something that the Western Church has missed or simply glossed over since Martin Luther.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening

I was surprised, as the title would suggest, at the Jesus I didn't know. If you struggle at times to grasp the meaning of the incarnation, then this book is for you. The humanity of Jesus is too important to miss out on.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insights into our Lord's mission. I used it as the basis for a half-dozen or so Sunday School lessons.

[Ted]

If you haven't read the Gospels a great deal but still have some questions of how to make sense of some of the narratives, this book might be helpful. Unlike many Orthodox writers, he doesn't quote Church Fathers. This is his reading of the text, and if you allow him to guide you and stay within his reading of things, you can appreciate the complexities of the Gospel.